Sucker-rod rack



Sept..24, 1929. A. H. NEILSON 1,729,131

SUCKER ROD RACK Filed Jan. 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Shet 1 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES ALBERT H. NEILSON, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA STICKER-ROD E A CK Application filed January 9, 1928. Serial no. 245,551.

My invent-ion relates to racks, and more particularly to a device of that character for use in oil well derricks, for supporting sucker rods in the order of removal of the rods from the well, the principal object of the invention being to facilitate recoupling of the rods in the order of their removal.

Rods of this character are connected by pins and boxes at their respective ends, or by couplings associated With pins on the ends of the rods, pling may be deformed in connection, use or will not readily fit into different couphngs,

but may be readily received in the boxes or coupling collars with which they were formerly associated. If the rods are mixed on the derrick floor time is lost in re-matching the rods, or correcting defects in the threads.

Consequently it is the purpose of my invention to arrange the rods in regular order upon their removal from the well, so that when they are to be replaced they are accessible in reverse order of their removal and the time ordinarily wasted in re-matching is avoided. r

In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rack embodying my invention and illustrating its preferred arrangement in a derrick.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of therack,

parts being in vertical section for better illustration. f

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective fixed supporting bracket.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the rotatable collars for mounting a rack bar.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the fixed bracket on the line 66, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the rack bars.

Referring more in detail to the drawingsz- 1 1 designates a derrick of ordinary type emview of the and as the threads of the coudisconnection of the rod sections, the pins ployed in pumping oil wells, including a'floor 2, through which the well casing 3 projects. 4 designates the belt house, 5 the walk leading along the belt house from the engine house (not shown) to the derrick floor and 6 the headache post, which extends from the derrick floor beneaththe inner end of the walking beam 7 as in common practice. 8 designates the casing head, 9 the well tubing and 10 the upper section of a sucker rod, which extends through the tubing for operating a pump (not shown) at the bottom of the well. In Fig. 1 I have illustrated removal of the rods from the well by means of an elevator 11 and hook 12 suspended from the rope or cable 13 in accordance with common practice.

The sucker rod sections are usually of 20, 25 or 30 foot lengths and when the rod is pulled the string below each successive upper section is suspended in the Well by a spider, or similar device, the upper section disconnected from the string and laid on the Walk 5 for easy access when the rod is to be returned to the Well. 3

In the practice of my invention I formra rack on thederrick floor adjacent the walk, in cluding rack bars supported above the floor by a bracket 14, which may be permanently attached to the headache post, and a standard 15 which may be easily and quickly installed on the floor, but readily removed to avoid obstruction while the rod is in the well. 1

The'bracket 14 preferably comprises a back plate 16, having apertures 17 through which attaching screws or bolts 18 may be projected into the headache post to firmly attach the bracket to the post. Extending outwardly from the plate 16 are paired ears 19 spaced to receive the end of the rack bars therebetween, the lower pair of ears having apertures 20 for ab'olt 21 (Figs. 2 and 3) and the upper paired ears supporting permanent pins 22 at such distance from the base plate 16 as to permit location of hook fingers on the rack bars between the pins and plate.

The support 15 preferably consists of tubing, which may be removably seated in a socket 23 removably attached to the derrick floor by lag screws 24, so that the socket may be easily and quickly applied in proper relation to the headache post, and the standard element placed in and removed from the socket when the rack is being set up or taken down. The rack includes a base bar member 25 having an eye 26 on one end receivable between the bottom cars 19 of the fixed bracket 14; and having an aperture 27 for receiving thebolt 21 projectable through the apertures in the bracket ears to semipermanently attached the rack bar to the bracket.

' At its opposite end the base rack bar 1s pivotally connected with a collar 28 shdable on the standard 15 and provided with di-,

ametrically opposite apertures for receiving a bolt-29, which may pass through said apertures and through an aperture 30 1n the standard to semi-permanently attach. the collar to the standard. The ends of the split collar are extended'parallel to each other and-in spaced relation to receive the end of. the bar 25 therebetween;

The end of the rack bar adjacent to the standard is also provided-with an aperture for receiving a bolt 32 which is passed through apertures in the ends of the collar 28 and through the eye of the rack bar to connect the bar with its collar;

' The rack also includes a series of supplemental bars corresponding with the base bar 25.exceptthat their collars 28' are loose for pivotal and longitudinal sliding movement on the standard 15 and are connected w th the barsproper by bolts 32 extending between the ends of the collars through slots 33 to providelongitudinal adjustment as Well as plvotal movement of the bars on their collars. At their opposite'ends the supplemental bars are provided with hooks 34 adapted to fit over pins 22 on the fixed bracket. Thepins 22 on the fixed bracket are spaced relatively to the width of the standard collars so that the pins and collars have the same center to center spacing, and the bars when assembled will be equally spaced and in parallel rela= tion. f

Each ofjthe bars is further provided at its upper edge with notches 35 forming seats for the sucker rods, as indicated in Fig. '1 of the drawings. In using a rack constructed according to my invention, assuming the fixed bracket to be permanently mounted on the headache post, thespacing rack bar is bolted to the lower pair of ears of the bracket and the tu bular'member of the standard fitted into the collar at the other end'of the bar, then into the floor socket, and the latter bolted to the derrick floor. Supplemental rack bars are assembled on the standard by sliding their collars over the standard to support on the fixed collar of the spacing bar, the supplemental racks being swung outwardly from the standard to avoid interference with the rod sections when the latter are placed in the rack. When the rod is pulled from the well the upper sections are successively removed from the string, swung on to the walk, and their inner ends lowered on to the spacing rack bar in order, starting from either end of the rack. I

l/Vhen the spacing rack bar has been. loaded thefirst supplemental bar is swung about the standard and the hook end of the bar projected into the fixed bracket and lowered on to the pin directly above the bolt for the spacing rack bar; the pin and slot connection of the bar with its collar permitting pivotal and longitudinal movement of the bar to permit its positioning in the bracket. Successive sections of the rod are then lowered on to the first supplemental rack bar until it is loaded, and then additional rack bars may be adjusted to the bracket and loaded until the lOCh has been completely removed from the we 8 When the rod is being replaced in the well the sections are taken from the'rack in reverse order to their insertion thereon, so that each pin and box will be returned to its former pairing, and so that should there have been any deformation of the threads during previous association of the coupling elements, it will be'unnecessary to re-match the rods inorder that the couplings may be made as before.

When the rod hasfbeen returned to the well the spacing rack bar may be removed from the fixed bracket and the removable standard lifted from the, floor socket and placed where it will not interfere with workmen on the derrick floor, butreadily available when again required for use.

What Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rack of the character described, in elud ng supports, a combination rack and spacing bar having end members fixed to said supports, anda collar loosely mounted on one of the supports and supported by anend member of the; combination bar, a rack bar. having pin and slot connection with said 001-" lar, a bracket on the opposite support having a latch pin, anda hook on the rackfbarengagealole with said pin.

2. A rack of the character described, in cluding a fixed bracket having a vertical series of spaced pins, a removable standard, a combination rack and spacing bar having collars fixed to the bracket and standard, and a series of rack bars having collars loose on said standard and successively supported on the combination bar standard and'having hooks at their opposite ends engageable with the bracket pins. 1 r

3. A rack of the character described, including a fixed bracket having a verticalseries of'spaced pins, a removable standard, a com: bination rack and spacing bar having collars fixed to vthebracket and standard, and a series of rack bars having collars loose on said standard and successively supported on the combination bar standard and having hooks at their opposite ends engageable with the bracket pins, the rack bars having pin and slot connection with their collars to permit longitudinal and vertical movement of the bars.

4. A rack of the character described including supports, a combination rack and spacing bar having end members fixed to said supports, a vertical series of collars loosely mounted on one of said supports and a supported on said combination bar, rack bars having pivotal connection With said collars and longitudinally adjustable thereon, a bracket on the opposite support having a vertical series of spaced latch pins, and hooks on said rack bars engageable With said latch pins.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT H. NEILSON. 

